Survey data shows that among the top ten causes of death in the world, heart disease ranks first, and there are many types of heart disease, including congenital heart disease, hypertensive heart disease, coronary heart disease, etc. If a child is born with congenital heart disease, he will always make parents worried.

Congenital heart disease, in addition to Fallot syndrome and tricuspid atresia, also includes pulmonary stenosis. Once you suffer from this disease, you will not experience any discomfort at first. Most of the time, heart murmurs are found during routine examinations such as vaccinations. Only to be discovered.

What are the causes of pulmonary stenosis in children? What symptoms may be caused by pulmonary stenosis? This article will answer the examination methods, symptoms, causes and treatments of pulmonary artery stenosis.

Causes of pulmonary stenosis

Pulmonary stenosis (Pulmonary Stenosis) is one of the types of congenital heart disease, accounting for about 10% of all cases. It mainly refers to the narrowing of the patient’s right ventricle leading to the pulmonary artery, which blocks the blood flow there.

Generally speaking, pulmonary stenosis can be divided into three types: pulmonary valve stenosis connecting the ventricles, subpulmonary valve stenosis and suprapulmonary valve stenosis, of which pulmonary valve stenosis is the most common.

Although current medical research has not determined the cause of pulmonary stenosis, the patient’s mother may have suffered from German measles (Rubella) or diabetes during pregnancy, or may have consumed alcohol, smoked, or taken certain drugs (such as thalidomide, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors) (drugs, etc.) may easily cause children to suffer from pulmonary artery stenosis and other types of congenital heart disease.

8 common symptoms of pulmonary artery stenosis

Most patients with mild or moderate pulmonary artery stenosis have no obvious symptoms until the condition becomes severe, which may cause the following 8 common symptoms:

1. Shortness of breath
   
2. Rapid heartbeat
   
3. Tired
   
4. Cyanosis
   
5. Weight loss
   
6. Chest pain
   
7. Syncope

Diagnosis of pulmonary artery stenosis: 3 major examinations to aid judgment

If the above 8 symptoms occur for a long time, in addition to seeking medical examination as soon as possible to confirm whether you have pulmonary stenosis, the following are 3 common examination methods:

1. Chest X-ray:
   May see the size of the heart and blood flow to the lungs.
   
2. Cardiac ultrasound:
   Through cardiac ultrasound, the location, shape, and presence of pulmonary stenosis in patients with other cardiac abnormalities can be observed, and the degree of stenosis can be predicted.
   
3. Cardiac catheterization:
   It can detect whether the pulmonary valve is abnormal and estimate the pressure difference between the ventricle and the pulmonary artery to confirm the location and severity of the stenosis, and it can also be treated.

Treatment of pulmonary artery stenosis: 2 major methods: balloon catheter dilatation and surgery

If the patient only has mild pulmonary artery stenosis, he only needs regular medical follow-up, but if the condition progresses to moderate or severe pulmonary artery stenosis, treatment is required. Currently, pulmonary artery stenosis is mostly treated with balloon catheter dilatation (PTCA), doctors The balloon catheter will first be guided to the pulmonary artery stenosis through the pipeline, and then the balloon will be pressurized and expanded to increase the diameter of the blood vessel to promote smooth blood flow and resolve the patient’s symptoms. This treatment method is usually effective.

However, if patients with pulmonary valve stenosis do not achieve satisfactory results after balloon catheter dilation, surgery is required to remove the valve at the stenotic site of the pulmonary artery and replace it with a normal valve to effectively cure pulmonary stenosis.
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